By Gillian Brunette
The signature artwork for the Huntsville Festival of the Arts 17th season has been created by Huntsville potter Eric Lindgren.
Lindgren joins the ranks of other Huntsville artists who, for the past 16 seasons, have crafted a piece of artwork in a variety of mediums for the festival’s annual graphic.
Lindgren fashioned two pottery pieces for the festival, a vase and a shallow bowl. “The two pieces are shaped differently from each other, they have a similar glaze surface, they both refer to musical performance and could both refer to stringed instruments such as guitars,” he explained.
SOUND OF MUSIC: Huntsville artisan Eric Lindgren stands with two art pieces he designed and produced for the Huntsville Festival of the Arts. The vase and bowl comprise the festival's 2009 image, which will appear on the summer brochure cover. [Photo by Jon Snelson.]"I shy away from being clearly representational. I have taken some elements of guitars, music making and sound and played with them. One piece is made on the wheel and is a symmetrical man-made object, as are musical instruments. The other piece is free form, open and textured. The enclosed piece represents an instrument, and the open piece relates to sound and the notation of music. You can see sound holes, sound waves, the frets of a guitar, strings, a musical staff and other details in these pieces.”
Lindgren has been involved with clay for over 30 years and has developed an exciting range of forms, glazes and surface techniques that express his relationship with earth, water and fire. He first made stoneware pots in the old family homestead on Lindgren Road in 1975. In 1981, he and his wife Cathy established Lindgren Pottery in a studio and showroom next to the farmhouse. A new studio was built two years ago and the showroom was then moved downstairs to the ground floor.
Most of Lindgren’s work is high-fired stoneware, known for its durability and character of glaze, with occasional works in raku and porcelain. Sculptural vases and bowls, framed and free-form wall pieces, and functional ware, including dinnerware, are wheel-thrown, slab-built or constructed using a combination of techniques.
Festival president Kareen Burns expressed her delight with this year’s art choice. “Eric Lindgren, pour moi, symbolizes Muskoka’s finest pottery. It is a coup to have Eric as our dynamic, 17th festival season image maker. As our inaugural two-piece image, it’s symbiotic, creative, beautiful, magically musical and visually Huntsville. I am extremely proud the Huntsville festival passionately continues to garner the immense artistic talents of Huntsville. Merci Mr. Lindgren."
The image of Lindgren’s vase and bowl will be placed on the cover of the festival’s 2009 brochure and theatre program, and utilized in several advertising and marketing initiatives.
